Border & Immigration News
The Daily Signal provides border and immigration news, including reporting, analysis, and commentary on policy, enforcement, and political debates.
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- News
Chicago Mayor Signs Executive Order Giving Coronavirus Benefits to Illegal Aliens
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Tuesday signed an executive order ensuring that all immigrants and refugees—including illegal aliens—are eligible to receive the city’s coronavirus benefits. The city of Chicago has launched several programs in order to help residents cope with the financial challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Such initiatives include a coronavirus Housing Assistance Grant…Jason Hopkins -
- Opinion
DHS Chief Chad Wolf Hopes to Have 450 Miles of Border Wall Built by End of Year
Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, joined The Daily Signal Podcast at the Conservative Political Action Conference earlier this year to detail progress on President Donald Trump’s wall at the U.S. border with Mexico. Read a lightly edited transcript of the interview, posted below, or listen to the podcast: Plus: Andy…Rachel del Guidice -
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House Democrats Ask DHS to ‘Release as Many Immigrants as Possible From Detention’
Citing the coronavirus pandemic, several progressive lawmakers are demanding the Department of Homeland Security release illegal aliens from detention and scale back other immigration enforcement measures. Democratic Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, along with four other Democratic congressmen, delivered a letter Monday to acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, requesting the administration take action to protect…Jason Hopkins -
- Opinion
To Avoid Amnesty, Agricultural Immigration Reform Must Address This Issue
Agricultural immigration reform shouldn’t include amnesty. This should be a given. Unfortunately, some legislators seem to disagree, as evidenced by the agricultural immigration legislation the House passed last year and legislation recently introduced by Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla. It’s not always easy to define amnesty, but this much is clear: Allowing illegal agricultural workers to remain…Daren Bakst -
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DHS Considers Turning Away Asylum-Seekers, Illegal Aliens at Southern Border
The Department of Homeland Security is considering “all options” to stop the spread of the coronavirus, which would include turning away illegal aliens who arrive at the southern border. DHS officials are reportedly considering turning away asylum-seekers and any individual who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, according to discussions first reported by Fox News. When asked if…Jason Hopkins -
- News
Virginia Lawmakers Pass Bill Giving Driving Privilege Cards to Illegal Aliens
While the Virginia General Assembly stopped short of passing legislation that gave full-fledged driver’s licenses to illegal aliens, lawmakers did advance a bill that would grant them driving privilege cards. The Democratic-controlled Virginia General Assembly went into overtime over the weekend, passing a flurry of progressive bills before the 2020 session came to an official…Jason Hopkins -
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States Can Prosecute Illegal Aliens for Identity Theft, Supreme Court Rules
The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that state governments can prosecute illegal aliens of identity theft, including aliens who use false Social Security numbers to unlawfully gain employment. In a tight 5-4 decision, a majority of justices on the nation’s highest court ruled that there is nothing in federal immigration law that forbids state prosecutors from…Jason Hopkins -
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ICE Catches Illegal Alien Accused of Child Rape After His Release by NYC
An illegal alien charged with raping a child was released by New York City authorities because of the city’s sanctuary policies, but federal immigration agents were able to arrest him shortly afterward. Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Monday arrested Miguel Federico Ajqui-Ajtzalam, 20, an illegal alien from Guatemala, according to a press…Jason Hopkins -
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Illegal Alien Released in Chicago Charged With Sexually Abusing 3-Year-Old
An illegal alien accused of sexually abusing a 3-year-old child would have been in federal custody had the Chicago Police Department honored an immigration detainer on him last year and not released him back into the community. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, lodged an immigration detainer with Chicago police for Christopher Puente, 34,…Jason Hopkins -
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Ken Cuccinelli Appointed Unlawfully to Top Immigration Post, Judge Rules
A federal judge ruled that Ken Cuccinelli was illegally appointed to a top U.S. immigration post last year and invalidated some of his directives. Cuccinelli was appointed unlawfully by the Trump administration to head U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, according to a 55-page ruling issued Sunday by Judge Randolph Moss of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.,…Jason Hopkins -
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Trump Administration Can Withhold Funds From Sanctuary Cities, Appeals Court Finds
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the White House can withhold funds from sanctuary cities, delivering a victory for President Donald Trump’s fight with jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. The Trump administration is legally allowed to withhold millions of dollars in federal law enforcement grants from states and…Jason Hopkins -
- Opinion
What the New Self-Reliance Rule Means for Immigrants
Politicians across the political spectrum have a penchant for bragging about how their parents or ancestors came to the U.S. with next to nothing, but worked hard to provide a better life for their children. Yet when the Department of Homeland Security proposed taking self-reliance into account in weighing applications for green cards or immigration visas, liberals condemned the proposal as harsh and sued to block the proposed rule from taking effect. Initially, they won…Lora Ries -
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Greyhound Announces It Will No Longer Allow Border Patrol Checks
Greyhound, the largest bus company in the U.S., announced Friday it will no longer allow Border Patrol agents to conduct immigration checks on its buses without a warrant. The bus company revealed in an emailed statement that it no longer consents to any Border Patrol agents or Customs and Border Protection officers conducting unwarranted searches…Jason Hopkins -
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Bills Would Deny Federal Funds to Sanctuary States for Illegal Aliens
With a growing number of states declaring themselves sanctuaries for illegal immigrants, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., are responding with legislation to impose penalties on states that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. Currently, 15 states and the District of Columbia allow residents to obtain driver’s licenses without proof of…Virginia Aabram -
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Massachusetts City Will Allow Illegal Aliens to Drive Without a License
City councilors in Cambridge, Massachusetts, voted to prohibit police officers from arresting illegal aliens if they are caught operating a vehicle without a license. Under a newly passed city ordinance in Cambridge, residents are still legally required to carry a driver’s license if they are operating a vehicle, but local law enforcement has been ordered…Jason Hopkins -
- Opinion
Trump’s War on Sanctuary Cities Is About More Than Politics
It’s about to get real for America’s so-called sanctuary cities, local governments that refuse to cooperate with those who enforce federal immigration laws. The Trump administration is deploying 100 tactical Border Patrol officers to help Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials take illegal immigrants in those cities into custody. The move should put to rest any…James Carafano -
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Trump Administration Deploying Border Patrol Tactical Units to Sanctuary Cities
The Trump administration is deploying an elite unit of the Border Patrol, including 100 Customs and Border Protection officers, to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement apprehend illegal aliens in sanctuary cities. Members of the Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) will be helping ICE officers arrest illegal aliens living at large in sanctuary cities, a spokesman…Jason Hopkins -
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Health Care Initiative Aims to Identify, Rescue Victims of Human Trafficking
An estimated 40 million people are trafficked around the world each year, says the leader of a group training health care providers to help identify and rescue victims. One research study of survivors in 2014 found that “88% of victims seek medical care and treatment while being trafficked,” said Deb O’Hara-Rusckowski, a critical care nurse…Allison Schuster -
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Granddaughter of Slaying Victim, 92, Backs Trump’s Fight Against Illegal-Immigrant ‘Sanctuaries’
Daria Ortiz’s voice cracked when speaking at a White House event Friday, as she described how New York City’s “sanctuary city” status let her family—and the rest of the city’s residents—down. Her 92-year-old grandmother, Maria Fuertes, a legal immigrant from the Dominican Republic, was sexually assaulted and killed last month, and police have charged illegal…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Trump Begins Counterattack on Sanctuary Cities
With the recent federal lawsuits filed against California, New Jersey, and King County, Washington, the Trump administration has finally launched a fierce counterattack against the sanctuary movement. States and local jurisdictions that provide a safe haven for dangerous criminal aliens and obstruct federal immigration enforcement are on notice. Until now, the administration has been largely on…Hans von Spakovsky